Oxford students second most satisfied

Oxford University has been ranked second in the Times Higher Eduction’s Student Experience Survey, coming after the University of East Anglia, but beating Cambridge by two places.

A spokeswoman for the University told Cherwell, “The University is pleased to see that the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey reflects that students are generally happy with their experience at Oxford.”

Students who partake in the survey are asked to evaluate their institution on a scale of one to seven, in twenty one weighed categories, ranging from academic quality and staff accessibility to social life and living expense.

Oxford tops the list along with Cambridge in “high-quality staff/ lectures”, “helpful/interested staff”, “wellstructured courses” and “highquality facilities”. Oxford performed least well in the category “good students’ union” scoring just 4.6.

David J. Townsend, OUSU President, commented, “OUSU’s biggest problem in the past has been communication of what it is and what it does directly for students… The relatively low scores from Cambridge and Durham show that this is a particular difficulty faced in collegiate universities.”

He continued, “Part of the recently achieved budget increase of £100,000 for OUSU next year will, if the Council of the Student Union approves, be spent addressing this gap by employing a dedicated communications officer.”

Michael Tai, a first-year medic at St Catz, said he was “quite proud, but I think it should be number one. My experience has definitely reflected Oxford’s ranking. Plus, I am very pleased it beat Cambridge.”